Tuesday, November 28, 2017

Many people in Skagit and Whatcom counties spent their holiday weekends dealing with flooding, flooding and more flooding as rising temperatures melted snow and the rain just kept falling. Homeowners weren't the only ones affected. Our crews were out throughout the weekend to help clear water from roadways, remove fallen trees and to make sure the highways were safe for travelers.

SR 20 at milepost 101 on Thanksgiving as flood waters from the Skagit River crested over the highway and concrete barrier.

The hardest hit area for us was on SR 20 east of Rockport. The high and rushing water in the Skagit River scoured out riprap along the bank, pulling material from under the road, collapsing part of the highway and sending traffic barriers into the water. We dispatched maintenance, construction and environmental crews to the site and they closed down the right (eastbound) lane, assessed safety concerns and worked to determine a fix.

What's happening now?

A temporary signal is alternating traffic through this area in the westbound lane.

Our maintenance crews are on scene 24/7.

Our Mount Vernon project office is working to get a contractor mobilized to the scene.

A 20 foot section of SR 20 was severely damaged during Nov. 2017 Skagit River scouring. The river also
moved nearly 100 yards of additional bank material that will need to be built back up.
This area was rebuilt about 20 years ago to protect the highway.

What's next?

The contractor is expected to take over the site from our maintenance team Tuesday night.

On Wednesday they will start work to replace washed-out riprap and repair the road.

Looking west down SR 20 from milepost 101 and downstream of the scoured area. In 2014 WSDOT contractor crews
did a project to protect the road in a critical area just downstream. The area damaged in 2017
wasn't included in that 2014 project because it was stable at that time.

While not many people travel this stretch this time of year, we know it's an important route for those who live or work in Marblemount as well as a favorite stretch used by many in the summer and other adventurers year-round. We've been getting plenty of questions since the incident began so here's some answers to the most popular:

Why is it going to take so long?We don't have a precise measurement of how deep or wide the scoured area is so the amount of material needed is still unknown. It will take time to place each rock where it's needed in the scour hole. The weather is also not on our side and this is work that needs to be done in the daylight, which there isn't a lot of this time of year. This is also a remote location and getting the needed material here will take time.

Didn't you just do a project here?We did a project in 2014 downstream from this area. The river was threatening the road so we received emergency federal funds to protect the highway.

Well, why didn't you just protect this area then?This neighboring area was stable during the 2014 project. We received emergency federal funds for that project and couldn't spend money on an area that wasn't directly impacted at that time.

How many drivers does this affect?Our traffic counts for this stretch of road are determined during the peak season (when the North Cascades Highway is open across the mountains). During that time, 2,200 vehicles used this stretch each day.

What sort of delays should I expect if I live in the area?Crews will be using the washed-out lane as a work zone, leaving one lane to be shared by both eastbound and westbound travelers. Those who need to travel through this section should expect up to 30 minutes of delay daily between 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Flaggers will be on scene alternating traffic through the area and, for everyone's safety, will hold traffic on both sides during certain work. Delays outside of those times should be less, depending on traffic volumes, as you'll just need to wait for the traffic light to cycle through.

How are crews planning to fix it?Crews will replace the riprap the river washed away. They will start by placing 6-foot diameter rocks in the water until the underwater area/bank is built back up. Once they've got those placed, they will add smaller rocks behind and atop that - and so on - until all the riprap that was there is replaced. They will then rebuild the road over that washed out stretch, put asphalt down and redo striping – work that is weather dependent.

How long will that fix last?That depends on the river. Geologists believe the event that scoured this section was part of a 5-year-flood. This section was last repaired in a similar manner about 20 years ago, which gives some indication of how long this repair should last. We will be looking at ways, and funding, to keep this area from being scoured in the future. That said, Mother Nature and this river is more powerful and doesn't always do what is expected.

How are you paying for this?
We are in the process of requesting federal emergency funding for this repair. Costs right now are being paid through state dollars.

The Apple Cup is also this weekend, which means a lot of fans will be trekking across the mountain passes. If you are, or know someone who is, one of those fans, check out the video below that explains what to expect when you hit the road for the big game.

For more information and tips for a stress-free weekend, check out our Thanksgiving travel news release. We are thankful for your support and hope you have a happy holiday season!

Monday, November 20, 2017

All aboard! Starting this week our new state-of-the-art Amtrak Cascades locomotives are rolling on the tracks from Vancouver, British Columbia to Eugene, Oregon.

The eight Siemens Charger locomotives are significant upgrades from our existing machines. They meet the strictest Environmental Protection Agency emission standards and are lighter and quieter. They also provide greater rates of acceleration and top speeds even though they’ll only be travelling up to 79 mph on our route. In addition, the locomotives include computerized on-board positive train control safety equipment, which will automatically stop the train when there are dangerous situations on the rails, once the system is activated corridor-wide next year. The locomotives, which boast 16-cylinder, 4,400 horsepower Cummins engines, also will be more reliable than the existing aging fleet and will be used on all routes.

Our new locomotives, seen here at King Street Station earlier this year, started running this week.
The Charger locomotives feature the traditional Amtrak Cascades colors along with WSDOT
and ODOT logos, for the two states that support the service.

The public got a peek at the new locomotives during a May unveiling at Seattle’s King Street Station. Since then they’ve been undergoing field modifications and acceptance testing to ensure everything operates safely on our corridor. They’re now ready for their official debut in revenue service and will be phased in to all Amtrak Cascade routes during the next few weeks.

The American-made locomotives feature the traditional evergreen, cappuccino and cream Amtrak Cascades colors, along with logos from Washington and Oregon -- the two states that jointly own and manage the Amtrak Cascades service. The paint colors, inspired by the Pacific Northwest, coordinate with the exterior paint on the existing Amtrak Cascades trainsets (passenger and baggage cars) used throughout the Amtrak Cascades system.

This interior shot of one of our eight new locomotives shows the locomotive control panel during initial testing.

All the Amtrak Cascades trains operate in a push-pull configuration that allows them to make a roundtrip without turning the train around. Initially, the trains will run with a new locomotive at one end and an older locomotive on the other end. This is part of the final process to break in the locomotives. Therefore, sometimes you’ll see the new locomotives pulling the train from the front and, at other times, they’ll be pushing the train from the back. The existing Amtrak F-59 locomotives will be phased out of service on this corridor over the next year.

The locomotives are just one part of a nearly $800 million investment in passenger train service in Washington state. We oversaw 20 federally funded projects throughout Washington, ranging from new tracks in Blaine, near the international border, that let passenger trains move more quickly around freight customs inspections to a new train trench at the Port of Vancouver that separates passenger trains from freight trains. In between are numerous projects and improvements to tracks, signals and even catchment walls to help prevent landslides from reaching the tracks and stopping train service. The work also includes the new Point Defiance Bypass route and station in Tacoma opening on Dec. 18. Together these projects will allow Amtrak Cascades to:

Add two daily roundtrips between Seattle and Portland

Reduce travel time between Seattle and Portland

Improve on-time reliability

The new locomotives were unveiled to the public in May at Seattle’s King Street Station and are now moving into service along the Amtrak Cascades corridor.

The additional trips – one in the morning and another in evening each direction – mean heading to Portland for a quick business meeting or Seattle for a fun day trip will be easier and all travelers will now have more options.

So, the next time you catch a train, or just see one passing by, take an extra moment to check out the new face of Amtrak Cascades.

Friday, November 17, 2017

There’s something exciting about airports. Whether you’re about to fly to your destination or have just landed, a new adventure is about to begin. It’s also a great place to gather your thoughts and make plans for your next step, or flight…

However, in order to plan your next adventure, it helps if there’s easily-accessed information available at the airport.

Just as with our roads and ferries, it’s important that we help the aviation community have as much information as possible. Having standardized kiosks in our public-use airports – that is, airports open to the general public without required prior approval from the airport owner or operator – that have information about our state attractions, services and amenities has long been a goal of our aviation community.

We need your help in getting the word out to talented people or groups who can create innovative kiosk designs. Show us your creativity and your concept could be greeting the tens of thousands of travelers who pass through 136 public-use airports each year.

The goal is to have an attractive outdoor kiosk to showcase information in as many public-use airports as possible. The information would include local attractions, landmarks, restaurants, lodging and other points of interest. There will also be information about services and amenities available at the airport.

This is a great opportunity for community, aviation or scout groups, school classes, college students or just a creative individual to show us their creativity and see their idea become the official Washington state airport kiosk!

Bandera State Airport near North Bend is one of 16 airports that our aviation division manages.

Contest Rules

Who is eligible?
All Washington state residents are eligible (proof of residency needed if you’re selected as one of the winners to create a prototype). Designs can be submitted as individuals or groups.
Examples of groups include, but aren’t limited to: Aviation groups (WPA/EAA/RAF/WASAR and similar local aviation groups); school groups; community groups; youth and scouting organizations; community service groups; airport employees.

Kiosks will be stained or painted so show us what colors you have in mind.

It rains here, so design a way to keep informational materials out of the weather.

It should provide limited shelter from the weather for the viewer.

Incorporate a box to keep a sign-in notebook and other materials out of the weather.

Contain WSDOT logo and colors (email creac@wsdot.wa.gov to get a copy of the logo and color palette).

Construction requirements:

Must be as easy as possible to fabricate.

Can be constructed with commonly available power and hand tools.

Materials must be commonly available from local hardware and lumber stores.

Materials must be weather resistant/proof.

Design should incorporate informational text panel ideas.

Minimum dimensions: 15-square-foot display area.

Cost of construction: Relatively low cost in the range of $1,000 - $2,000 is preferred.

How will we pick?
The top three designs as chosen by the general public in an online poll running from Jan. 2-14, 2018, will be funded to fabricate a kiosk prototype for display and voting. To stay updated and vote online visit www.wsaa.aero/kioskcompetition.

The three prototypes will be displayed and eligible for voting at the Northwest Aviation Conference and Tradeshow in Puyallup Feb. 24-25, 2018. The winner will be announced at the end of February with construction beginning on the kiosks in May.

Wednesday, November 15, 2017

Are you ready for winter weather? Our maintenance crews have been preparing for several months, long before the first snowflake hits the pavement, and are ready to go. We’ve readied our equipment, trained new members of our crews and filled our salt and deicer stockpiles.

Our maintenance crews have been working for months to prepare for the winter.

But responding to snow and ice situations on the highways is more than just being ready to roll. It's a balancing act between the forces of nature, available crews and keeping equipment running. While we work 24/7 during snow and ice events, we can’t be everywhere at once.

A lot of ground to cover

Statewide we have approximately 500 plow and dump trucks.

These trucks need to cover more than 20,000 lanes miles.

To efficiently treat roadway surfaces during snow and ice events, our trucks travel about 25-35 miles per hour.

Snowplows typically move 25-35 mph to safely remove snow off highways, like SR 504 in Toutle in this picture.

During many storms, snow continues to fall for hours and sometimes days, so a single pass with a plow isn’t enough to keep snow and ice from building up on the highway. We use advanced weather forecasting to predict where snow and ice will accumulate, and use the information to pre-treat high traffic corridors. The anti-icing chemicals we apply help prevent frost and ice from bonding to the pavement.
Once snow has started falling and accumulating, we switch to a salt pre-wet with a corrosion-inhibited liquid deicer that helps snow and ice to melt, making it easier to remove with snowplows – but it takes time to work.

Priorities
Just as no two snowflakes are the same, no two winter storms are alike. As a guide to strategically deploy our resources, equipment and supplies during inclement weather, priority levels are assigned to all of the highways we maintain. The determination is based on the following factors:

Purple
Our highest-priority routes as our primary focus is to keep interstate corridors open. Interstate 5 is the busiest roadway on the west coast and is vital for moving people and goods to support the economy. From the onset of an event, our goal is to keep at least a single lane open in each direction and work towards bare and wet pavement across all lanes.

Blue
These are important intercity and local routes, which carry between 20,000 and 80,000 vehicles per day. These stretches of highway include many of the east/west routes like sections of US 2, US 12 and SR 14.

Green
These routes generally carry fewer than 20,000 vehicles a day. The priority levels of some of the green highways change, as the number of people using the highway and geography changes, like US 101 near Discovery Bay.

Orange
Winter climates differ greatly on either side of the Cascades. You’ll likely notice more orange routes in Eastern Washington, like SR 21. That’s because snowfall and freezing temps often occur throughout the winter on the east side of the Cascades. Our priority is to keep traffic moving under normal expected winter conditions for the 5,000 to 10,000 vehicles that use these roadways daily.

Red
Less than 5,000 vehicles use these routes per day. Some of these roads, like the upper reaches of SR 504 on Mount St. Helens, are often closed during the winter months.

Black
We partner with agencies around the state to manage sections of highways which pass through many cities and counties.

Winter weather response is our single most expensive maintenance activity, making up almost 20 percent of the entire maintenance budget. Our snow and ice plan is a holistic approach to shifting our limited resources to where the highest number of people and vehicles are located to keep traffic flowing.

Our highest priority in snow events is keeping I-5 running, which typically means clearing at least one lane like this in Vancouver.

We need your help
Removing snow and ice off state highways takes time and our resources are limited. During periods of relentless snow and ice, we may not have enough crews or trucks to treat some of our lesser-traveled highways – even with crews working around the clock. Heavy traffic can delay snow and ice cleanup as plowing and deicing isn’t possible if vehicles are blocking the roadway.
Knowing the plowing priorities along your route can help you plan your trips, including knowing to expect winter conditions on certain roads or possibly delaying travel during particularly heavy storms.

Making the choice to travel during inclement weather is different for everyone. It only takes one crash or stalled vehicle to jam up the system for hours. Make the best decision for you, your family and all the other folks on the road by planning ahead.

If you do decide to travel during a snow and ice event, drive for the conditions and to your capabilities

Remember to:

Slow down

Give road crews plenty of room to work

Leave extra space between you and the vehicle in front of you

Give yourself extra room to stop

Plowing highways helps but drivers also need to be prepared to slow down and be cautious in snow and ice.

Cities and counties throughout the state often post their priority routes on their web pages. Knowing which of the roads you travel get the highest level of service can help you develop a winter weather travel plan.

While Thursday, Dec. 21, marks the official start to winter, we’ve already seen snow and freezing temperatures effect our highways, cropping up seemingly out of nowhere with little warning. We’ve got our plans in place to respond, and establishing your own plan now will help you know before you go when it snows.

Tuesday, November 14, 2017

Our Incident Response Team drivers have to be able to do a little bit of everything out on the road. These traffic superheroes have to be part mechanic, part problem solver and part guardian angel as they drive our state roadways day in and day out. Their mission? Help keep traffic moving while keeping everyone involved – themselves, passing motorists and owners of crashed or disabled vehicles – safe.

IRT driver Brian Farrar carries a variety of tools in his truck, including jumper cables to help disabled or damaged vehicles.

This is National Traffic Incident Response Awareness Week, so we thought we’d share a little of what our IRT drivers do. I recently spent a day following along several drivers and here’s a list of just some of their tasks:

Changing flat tires as traffic zooms by just inches away. Recently they’ve also been showing some pickup truck drivers the new way some spare tires are suspended with cables that require special keys or tools to release. (One driver was ready to take a hammer to his truck until our driver showed him the trick).

Providing free gas. (No, they will not fill up your tank; they give you enough to get to the next gas station).

Chopping up trees that have fallen into the roadway. (They carry chainsaws and axes among their gear).

Responding to crime scenes on roadways. Our drivers have dodged bullets, responded to vehicles with active meth labs in the trunk and one even emerged from under a vehicle to find it surrounded by officers with guns drawn because the driver was wanted by police.

Scanning bridge expansion joints, guardrails and highway signs on a regular basis to report any problems they see starting to develop. This helps maintenance make repairs before something becomes an emergency.

Siphoning off diesel fuel from an overturned semi truck’s gas tanks to reduce the chance of a spill or explosion.

Pushing or pulling disabled or damaged vehicles out of traffic to the shoulder or nearest exit to help reopen roads quickly.

Moving debris and other material out of the roadway. (Once, crews even helped someone retrieve a pair of dentures that flew out a car window during a coughing fit).

No easy task
The IRT drivers patrol a given area throughout the day, concentrating on known of areas of congestion unless they’re called to an incident. They’re also dispatched to crashes or disabled vehicles by the Washington State Patrol.

IRT Supervisor Kathy Vatter’s truck was damaged earlier this year when a driver plowed into it at the scene of an earlier crash. Luckily Kathy jumped out of the way and wasn’t injured, but our truck was totaled.

It’s a tough job. And dangerous. Earlier this year one of our IRT supervisors, Kathy Vatter, had to jump over a guardrail to dodge a vehicle that slammed into her truck so hard it totaled the vehicle. Luckily, Kathy wasn’t hurt, but we have far too many of these close calls each year.

So why do they do it? Drivers said their job is active and never boring. It’s a challenge to figure the best way to clear a complicated crash scene. But, mostly, the drivers all said they like helping people and seeing them get on their way safely.

Brian Farrar of our IRT group checks an abandoned vehicle to make
sure no one needed help before notifying the State Patrol.

“I get to help people very day,” said Zach Forrest, who joined IRT about two years ago.

“And people are really appreciative,” added Brian Farrar.

Safety is at the root of both the IRT program and our overall Traffic Incident Management program, which works with many emergency response agencies to safely clear road crashes or hazards efficiently while also preventing secondary crashes.

IRT driver Brian Farrar keeps an eye out for emergencies while patrolling the Olympia-Tacoma region.

We need your help
Our IRT drivers help people every shift, but we also need help from the public to keep everyone safe and moving. Here are some of the top tips IRT drivers said they’d like to share with travelers:

Leave extra space between you and the vehicle in front of you – following too closely is a major factor in roadway crashes.

Slow down and move over to the next lane if possible whenever you see an IRT driver at work on the shoulder. Not only is that state law, it helps keep everyone safe and cuts down on secondary crashes.

Keep your fuel tank full and your vehicle in good working order – prevention is key in avoiding breakdowns

Call 911 if you break down on the roadway or are in a collision. Emergency dispatchers work with our IRT trucks as well as towing companies to get you help quickly and this is an appropriate use of 911. It’s safer for everyone to let the trained IRT staff change your tire than attempting it yourself.

Always obey emergency signs, including reduced speed limits. Remember, no missed meeting, flight or other event is worth risking your life or the life of others.

Battery-operated flares help our IRT crews mark off closures without having to worry about flares burning out.

Bottom line, our overall Traffic Incident Management program is about saving lives. The lives of someone broken down on the side of the road, the lives of passing motorists and the lives of our workers and all emergency responders. Please help us honor their work this week – and every week – by doing your part to help everyone make it home safely each night.

Thursday, November 2, 2017

Soon your commute across I-90 Snoqualmie Pass will look a little different. The week of Nov. 6 we will be switching the westbound lanes onto the second, new avalanche bridge. The first avalanche bridge was completed in summer 2016. This configuration will provide three lanes going westbound and two lanes going eastbound over the bridges. Although this is a new look, it’s not the final look. The completion of the avalanche bridges is part of the larger 15-mile improvement project on I-90 between Hyak and Easton. This seven mile section between Hyak and Price Creek has been under construction since 2010 and by next fall most of the major construction will be completed. The remaining eight miles of the corridor between Price Creek and Easton is scheduled to begin in summer 2021.

Westbound traffic will be switching onto our second new avalanche bridge on I-90 Snoqualmie Pass this November.

This summer contractor crews poured more than 4,000 cubic yards of concrete for new bridges and structures, poured more than 5,700 cubic yards of concrete for the new roadway and removed more than 234,000 cubic yards of material. Due to the work to get the new westbound lanes onto the new avalanche bridge, you will still see some delays and backups along Keechelus Lake, so it might be good to give yourself some extra travel time next week.

New westbound lanes across I-90 Snoqualmie Pass are just about ready for traffic.

The new look across I-90 continues between North Bend and the Summit of Snoqualmie Pass. This summer contractor crews replaced approximately 2,500 square feet of deteriorating concrete panels and milled about 88,000 square feet of roadway in the eastbound lanes. Crews also removed approximately 15,000 square feet of deteriorated concrete from the bridge decks in the westbound lanes. Although this project is finished for the season, crews will be back next spring to finish the eastbound lanes and the westbound bridge decks.

Near Cle Elum, contractor crews spent their second summer repairing and replacing a nine-mile section of the westbound lanes. Now you are driving on a smoother surface, which is expected to last the next 50 years.

The second arch for the I-90 wildlife overcrossing is in place with the full structure set to be complete in 2019.

Contractor crews also spent the good portion of the summer repairing several bridge decks near Ellensburg and building a new roundabout at the US 97 and Dolarway intersection.

We know traffic wasn’t easy during this very busy construction season and we want to thank all of you who traveled across I-90 for your patience and understanding. We also want to thank the Washington State Patrol troopers who helped to keep drivers and our employee’s safe through the construction work zones.

Wednesday, November 1, 2017

November brings two events that serve as reminders to use extra caution on our state’s streets and roads. Daylight saving time ends Sunday, Nov. 5, and we head into the winter months with their darker, shorter days. Then on Sunday, Nov. 19, the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims takes place. This international day of recognition reminds all of us to slow down, look out for others, and remember the terrible cost of traffic crashes to victims, their families and friends, and emergency responders.

With fewer hours of daylight, increased fog and rainy weather, and ice or snow to come, we’re reminding everyone that these conditions can make visibility a challenge. For drivers in particular, slowing down to leave a few extra seconds to see and respond can make all the difference between having, or preventing, a tragic collision.

Driver mental and physical reaction times vary, and winter road conditions introduce additional variables into braking distance. A car traveling at 30 miles per hour travels about 100 feet in 2.3 seconds, the average reaction time for drivers. At 60 mph, the car will travel the length of an entire football field in the time it takes a driver to react and stop on dry pavement. The reaction-time window shrinks with increased speeds and the risk of serious injury or death for anyone walking or biking increases dramatically.

On both the state and federal level, we’ve set goals of reducing traffic-related fatalities on all roads to zero. Unfortunately, for people walking and bicycling in Washington, serious injuries and fatalities are on the rise recently. We’re offering these safety tips to help reduce the risk of collisions:

For all road users, regardless of mode, if you feel unsafe due to lighting, roadway design, vehicle speed or other factors, report it to transportation and law enforcement officials.

Drivers

Stop for people in crosswalks — every intersection is a crosswalk.It’s the law. Drivers must stop for pedestrians at intersections, whether it’s an unmarked or marked crosswalk, and bicyclists in crosswalks are considered pedestrians. It is also illegal to pass another vehicle stopped for someone at a crosswalk. In Washington, the leading action by motorists that results in them hitting someone is failure to yield to pedestrians.

Put the phone down. Hand-held cell phone use and texting is prohibited for all Washington drivers and may result in a $136 fine for first offense, $235 on the second distracted-driving citation.

Don’t drive impaired.Lack of sleep as well as alcohol and other substances reduce your ability to see, decide, and react in time.

Look and then look again before turning. The majority (68 percent) of pedestrians and bicyclists hit by drivers in Washington state are struck as they are crossing the road.

Watch for people walking or biking near senior centers, schools, community centers, and other destinations. Persons over 65 make up the largest age group in traffic fatalities of people walking and biking, both nationally and in Washington state. From 2012-16, they represented 14 percent of the total population and were the victims in 24 percent of fatal non-motorist traffic fatalities – the most of any age groups.

Pass at a safe distance. Darkness and weather conditions may affect a driver’s ability to gauge distance. Leaving an extra safety buffer in time and space when passing people gives you more ability to see and react, and it’s also the law. Be aware that a bicyclist needs to be positioned in the lane a safe distance away from opening car doors, grates, and other hazards not visible to a driver.

Drive the posted speed limit, or slower if conditions make visibility difficult. If a driver hits a pedestrian or bicyclist at 20 mph or less, there is an estimated 95 percent survival rate; at 30 mph, a pedestrian has only a 5 percent chance of walking away without injury and the death rate jumps to 45 percent. The driver trying to save a few seconds by speeding could end up taking someone’s life.

Walk and bike where you can be most visible. Use sidewalks and bike lanes when they are available and safe for use. If not, walk at the edge of the road facing traffic, and ride with the flow of traffic. Bicyclists using the sidewalk should roll at a walking pace. Stand clear of buses, hedges, parked cars, or other obstacles before crossing, so drivers can see you.

Take care when crossing. In addition to intersections, driveways are another place where you can expect to encounter drivers or bicyclists exiting or entering. Take an extra moment to confirm that you can cross safely. Don’t rely solely on traffic signals — look for oncoming traffic before you cross the road.

Use eye contact and hand signals to communicate. Making eye contact with drivers as you step into the crosswalk can help signal your intention to cross. On a bicycle, use hand signals to indicate lane changes, turns and stops.

Use lights as required and take advantage of lighted crossings.State law requires bicycles to have a front headlight and rear reflector. A rear taillight makes a bicycle visible earlier to drivers approaching from behind. Carrying a flashlight when you walk helps you see and avoid irregularities in the sidewalk or shoulder.